On the basis of waveform features and locations, earthquakes in the vicinity of the volcano during November were identified as constituting a separate group. Since September 1998 more than 20 events with magnitudes ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 occurred at shallow depths (<5 km).

Information is preliminary and subject to change. All times are local (unless otherwise noted)

The volcano's 17-km-long Bilchenok Glacier has begun to advance. The glacier, located in Plosky's caldera, has three large ice cascades on its NW flank. Previous surges of this glacier occurred in 1959, 1976, and 1977. Photo reconaissance flights over Kamchatkan glaciers 10-11 March revealed that Bilchenok's front was 1 km from its 1980 position and 500 m from the 1959 maximum surge. Its surface was broken into blocks, and rupture disturbances of the snow cover were observed.

On the basis of waveform features and locations, earthquakes in the vicinity of the volcano during November were identified as constituting a separate group. Since September 1998 more than 20 events with magnitudes ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 occurred at shallow depths (<5 km).

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Volcano Types

Rock Types

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zoneContinental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 kmWithin 10 kmWithin 30 kmWithin 100 km

0
0
292
12,461

Geological Summary

Ushkovsky volcano (formerly known as Plosky) is a large compound volcanic massif located at the NW end of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. It consists of the flat-topped Ushkovsky (Daljny Plosky), which is capped by an ice-filled 4.5 x 5.5 km caldera, and the adjacent slightly higher peak of Krestovsky (Blizhny Plosky) volcano. Two glacier-clad cinder cones with large summit craters form a high point within the Ushkovsky caldera. Linear zones of cinder cones are found on the SW and NE flanks and on lowlands to the west. The younger caldera at the summit of Daljny was formed in association with the eruption of large lava flows and pyroclastic material from the Lavovy Shish cinder cones at the foot of the volcano about 8600 years ago. The only known historical activity was an explosive eruption from the summit cone in 1890.

This volcano is located within the Volcanoes of Kamchatka, a UNESCO World Heritage property.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Ushkovsky.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Ushkovsky.

Photo Gallery

This dramatic photo looks north along the cluster of large stratovolcanoes forming the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. Udina volcano (foreground) and the twin Zimina volcano (middle right) are Holocene centers without historical eruptions. Kamen volcano (top center) and Kliuchevskoi (top right) are Kamchatka's two highest peaks. Ushkovsky volcano (top left) lies at the NW end of the volcano group and has had a single historical eruption. Bezymianny volcano is hidden by clouds below Kamen.

Photo by Oleg Volynets (Institute of Volcanology, Petropavlovsk).

Four volcanoes of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group are visible in this north-looking view. Steam clouds pour from the summit of Bezymianny volcano (foreground), which is dwarfed by sharp-peaked Kamen volcano behind it. Kliuchevskoi volcano, the highest and one of the most active volcanoes of Kamchatka, is at the upper right. The compound Ushkovsky volcano is on the left horizon, with Krestovsky forming the rounded summit and the glacier-covered Ushkovsky caldera visible at the extreme left.

Photo by Oleg Volynets (Institute of Volcanology, Petropavlovsk).

An ash plume rises above the summit of Kliuchevskoi volcano on February 16, 1987. This was part of a long-term eruption during 1986-1990 that included explosive and effusive activity from both summit and flank vents. This dramatic view from the south shows steaming Bezymianny volcano, itself in eruption at this time, at the lower left, sharp-peaked Kamen volcano at the left center, and the broad peak of Ushkovsky volcano on the left horizon.

An ash plume from Kliuchevskoi in 1979 is backlit by the sun in this view looking SW from the Kliuchevskoi Volcano Observatory. This was part of a dominantly explosive eruption that took place from August 1977 until 1980. The eruption concluded with explosive activity and lava effusion from a flank vent during March 5-12, 1980. Ushkovsky volcano (also referred to as Plosky volcano) appears at the right, with the small Sredny stratovolcano in the center.

Photo by Yuri Doubik, 1979 (Institute of Volcanology, Petropavlovsk).

Clouds drape the margins of the glacier-covered summit caldera of Ushkovsky (Plosky) volcano in the foreground. The two highest volcanoes in Kamchatka, Kliuchevskoi (left) and Kamen (right) rise above the layer of clouds to the SE. A small ash plume drifts above the summit of Kliuchevskoi, one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes. No historical eruptions have occurred from the erosionally dissected Kamen volcano, while a single historical eruption, during 1890, has been documented from Ushkovsky volcano.

Photo by Yuri Doubik (Institute of Volcanology, Petropavlovsk).

Ushkovsky volcano (formerly known as Plosky) is a large compound volcanic massif located at the NW end of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. Seen here from the NW, it consists of the flat-topped 3943-m-high Ushkovsky volcano (far right), which is capped by an ice-filled 4.5 x 5.5 km caldera, and the adjacent higher peak of 4108-m Krestovsky volcano (center). Numerous cinder cones dot its flanks. The volcano has been active during the Holocene, with the last eruption of the summit cone occurring in 1890.

Kamen (left), Kliuchevskoi (right), and the broad snow-capped Ushkovsky volcano behind them to the west, anchor the northern end of the Kliuchevskaya volcano group. Ushkovsky consists of the flat-topped Ushkovsky volcano (Daljny Plosky) on the left, which is capped by an ice-filled 4.5 x 5.5 km caldera, and the adjacent slightly higher peak of Krestovsky (Blizhny Plosky) volcano on the right. Kamen and Kliuchevskoi are the two highest peaks in Kamchatka and Kliuchevskoi is also one of its most active volcanoes.

Symmetrical Kliuchevskoi and the erosionally modified Ushkovsky (also known as Plosky) are two prominent stratovolcanoes visible SW of the town of Kliuchi. The small Sredny stratovolcano, constructed on the eastern flank of Ushkovsky, occupies the saddle between them. Kliuchevskoi is one of Kamchatka's most active volcanoes, while Ushkovsky has had only a single eruption in historical time.

GVP Map Holdings

The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included. The maps database originated over 30 years ago, but was only recently updated and connected to our main database. We welcome users to tell us if they see incorrect information or other problems with the maps; please use the Contact GVP link at the bottom of the page to send us email.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

External Sites

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Ushkovsky. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Ushkovsky. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window.

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO2 to the atmosphere, but installing CO2 monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).